38

Jeremiah Thrown Into a Cistern

¹Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehukal⚓ son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, ²“This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians⚓ will live. They will escape with their lives; they will live.’ ³And this is what the Lord says: ‘This city will certainly be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’ ”
⁴Then the officials said to the king, “This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.”
⁵“He is in your hands,” King Zedekiah answered. “The king can do nothing to oppose you.”
⁶So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.
⁷But Ebed-Melek, a Cushite,⚓ an official⚓ in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate, ⁸Ebed-Melek went out of the palace and said to him, ⁹“My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern, where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread in the city.”
¹⁰Then the king commanded Ebed-Melek the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”
¹¹So Ebed-Melek took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He took some old rags and worn-out clothes from there and let them down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. ¹²Ebed-Melek the Cushite said to Jeremiah, “Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so, ¹³and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah Again

¹⁴Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to the third entrance to the temple of the Lord. “I am going to ask you something,” the king said to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”
¹⁵Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me.”
¹⁶But King Zedekiah swore this oath secretly to Jeremiah: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has given us breath, I will neither kill you nor hand you over to those who want to kill you.”
¹⁷Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live. ¹⁸But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians and they will burn it down; you yourself will not escape from them.’ ”
¹⁹King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me.”
²⁰“They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared. ²¹But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the Lord has revealed to me: ²²All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you:
“ ‘They misled you and overcame you—
those trusted friends of yours.
Your feet are sunk in the mud;
your friends have deserted you.’
²³“All your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from their hands but will be captured by the king of Babylon; and this city will⚓ be burned down.”
²⁴Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you may die. ²⁵If the officials hear that I talked with you, and they come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us or we will kill you,’ ²⁶then tell them, ‘I was pleading with the king not to send me back to Jonathan’s house to die there.’ ”
²⁷All the officials did come to Jeremiah and question him, and he told them everything the king had ordered him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had heard his conversation with the king.
²⁸And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
This is how Jerusalem was taken:

38

Arăng Bi Mtlaih Y-Yêrêmi Mơ̆ng Kbăng Êa

¹Y-Sêphatia anak êkei Y-Matan, Y-Gêdalia anak êkei Y-Pashur, Y-Jukal anak êkei Y-Sêlêmia, leh anăn Y-Pashur anak êkei Y-Malkia hmư̆ klei Y-Yêrêmi blŭ kơ jih jang phung ƀuôn sang, ²“Snei Yêhôwa lač: ‘Hlei pô dôk hlăm ƀuôn anei srăng djiê hŏng đao gưm, hŏng klei ư̆ êpa, leh anăn hŏng klei ruă tưp; ƀiădah hlei pô kbiă nao kơ phung Kaldê srăng hdĭp; ñu srăng bi mtlaih klei hdĭp ñu.’ ³Snei Yêhôwa lač: ‘Sĭt nik arăng srăng jao ƀuôn anei kơ kngan phung kahan mtao Ƀaƀilôn mă gơ̆.’ ” ⁴Snăn phung khua lač kơ mtao, “Brei arăng bi mdjiê hĕ mnuih anei, kyuadah ñu bi êdu ai phung kahan ăt dôk hlăm ƀuôn anei, leh anăn jih jang phung ƀuôn sang, êjai ñu blŭ klei msĕ snăn kơ digơ̆. Kyuadah mnuih anei amâo tui duah klei jăk kơ phung ƀuôn sang ôh, ƀiădah duah klei jhat kơ digơ̆.” ⁵Mtao Sêdêkia lač, “Nĕ anei, ñu dôk hlăm kngan diih; kyuadah mtao amâo dưi bi kdơ̆ng hŏng diih ôh.” ⁶Snăn diñu mă Y-Yêrêmi leh anăn dlăm gơ̆ hlăm kbăng êa Y-Malkija anak êkei mtao, kbăng êa anăn hlăm wăl phung kahan gak. Diñu bi mtrŭn Y-Yêrêmi hŏng klei bră. Amâo mâo êa ôh hlăm kbăng anăn, mâo knŏng lŭ, leh anăn Y-Yêrêmi kdlŭt hlăm lŭ anăn.
⁷Tơdah Y-Êbet-Mêlek sa čô Êthiôpi dĭng buăl arăng mkriâo dôk hlăm sang mtao hmư̆ klei diñu dlăm Y-Yêrêmi hlăm kbăng êa, êjai mtao dôk gŭ ti Ƀăng Jang Benjamin, ⁸Y-Êbet-Mêlek kbiă mơ̆ng sang mtao nao blŭ kơ mtao, ⁹“Ơ khua kâo mtao, phung êkei anei ngă klei jhat hlăm jih klei diñu ngă leh kơ khua pô hưn êlâo Y-Yêrêmi êjai dlăm gơ̆ hlăm kbăng êa, leh anăn gơ̆ srăng djiê êpa tinăn, kyuadah amâo lŏ mâo mnơ̆ng ƀơ̆ng huă ôh hlăm ƀuôn anei.” ¹⁰Snăn mtao mtă kơ Y-Êbet-Mêlek, sa čô Êthiôpi, “Mă bĕ tlâo pluh čô êkei mbĭt hŏng ih mơ̆ng anôk anei, leh anăn ktŭng bi kbiă khua pô hưn êlâo Y-Yêrêmi mơ̆ng kbăng êa êlâo gơ̆ djiê.” ¹¹Snăn Y-Êbet-Mêlek atăt ba phung êkei mbĭt hŏng ñu leh anăn nao kơ sang mtao nao kơ hjiê anôk pioh čhiăm ao, leh anăn mă mơ̆ng anăn čhiăm ao tĭ, leh anăn bi mtrŭn hŏng klei bră kơ Y-Yêrêmi hlăm kbăng êa. ¹²Y-Êbet-Mêlek sa čô Êthiôpi lač kơ Y-Yêrêmi, “Dưm čhiăm ao tĭ anăn ti plah wah păl ak hŏng klei bră.” Y-Yêrêmi ngă snăn. ¹³Diñu ktŭng Y-Yêrêmi hŏng klei bră kbiă mơ̆ng kbăng êa. Leh anăn Y-Yêrêmi ăt dôk hlăm wăl phung kahan gak.

Y-Sêdêkia Êmuh Klei Kčĕ kơ Y-Yêrêmi

¹⁴Mtao Sêđêkia tiŏ nao arăng iêu khua pô hưn êlâo Y-Yêrêmi leh anăn ñu jum gơ̆ ti ƀăng bhă tal tlâo hlăm sang yang Yêhôwa. Mtao lač kơ Y-Yêrêmi, “Kâo srăng êmuh kơ ih sa klei; đăm mdăp kơ kâo ôh.” ¹⁵Y-Yêrêmi lač kơ Y-Sêdêkia, “Tơdah kâo hưn kơ ih, amâo djŏ hĕ sĭt nik ih srăng bi mdjiê kâo? Leh anăn tơđah kâo kčĕ kơ ih, ih amâo srăng dôk hmư̆ kâo ôh.” ¹⁶Snăn Mtao Sêdêkia kat asei hŏng klei hgăm kơ Y-Yêrêmi, “Tui si Yêhôwa dôk hdĭp, pô mjing leh mngăt drei, kâo amâo srăng bi mdjiê ih amâodah jao ih kơ kngan phung duah bi luč klei hdĭp ih ôh.”
¹⁷Snăn Y-Yêrêmi lač kơ Y-Sêdêkia, “Snei Yêhôwa Aê Diê kơ phung kahan, Aê Diê Israel lač, ‘Tơdah ih srăng mŭt phung khua kơ mtao Ƀaƀilôn, snăn arăng srăng pioh ih hdĭp, leh anăn arăng amâo srăng čuh ôh ƀuôn anei; ih leh anăn phung hlăm sang ih srăng dôk hdĭp. ¹⁸Ƀiădah tơdah ih amâo mŭt ôh phung khua kơ mtao Ƀaƀilôn, arăng srăng jao ƀuôn anei kơ kngan phung Kaldê, leh anăn diñu srăng čuh ƀuôn anei hŏng pui, leh anăn ih amâo srăng tlaih ôh mơ̆ng kngan diñu.’ ” ¹⁹Mtao Sêdêkia lač kơ Y-Yêrêmi, “Kâo huĭ kơ phung Yuđa dôk leh tĭng kơ phung Kaldê, huĭdah arăng jao kâo kơ diñu, leh anăn diñu ngă klei jhat kơ kâo.” ²⁰Y-Yêrêmi lač, “Arăng amâo srăng jao ih kơ diñu ôh. Gưt bĕ ară anei asăp Yêhôwa tui si klei kâo lač kơ ih, leh anăn klei jăk srăng truh kơ ih, leh anăn arăng srăng pioh ih dôk hdĭp. ²¹Ƀiădah tơdah ih hngah amâo mŭt ôh phung Kaldê, anei jing klei bi ƀuh Yêhôwa bi êdah leh kơ kâo: ²²‘Nĕ anei, jih jang phung mniê ăt dôk hlăm sang mtao Yuđa arăng srăng atăt ba kơ phung khua mtao Ƀaƀilôn êjai lač,
“Phung mah jiăng ih knang mplư ih leh,
leh anăn dưi hŏng ih leh;
ară anei jơ̆ng ih kdlŭt leh hlăm lŭ,
phung mah jiăng ih lui ih leh.”’
²³Jih jang phung mô̆ leh anăn phung anak êkei ih arăng srăng atăt ba kơ phung Kaldê, leh anăn ih pô amâo srăng tlaih mơ̆ng kngan diñu ôh, ƀiădah mtao Ƀaƀilôn srăng mă čăp ih, leh anăn arăng srăng čuh ƀuôn anei hŏng pui.”
²⁴Snăn Y-Sêđêkia lač kơ Y-Yêrêmi, “Đăm brei arăng thâo ôh jih klei blŭ anei, huĭdah ih srăng djiê ôh. ²⁵Tơdah phung khua hmư̆ klei kâo blŭ hrăm leh hŏng ih leh anăn hriê kơ ih lač, ‘Hưn kơ hmei ya klei ih lač leh kơ mtao, leh anăn ya klei mtao lač leh kơ ih, đăm mdăp sa mnơ̆ng kơ hmei ôh, snăn kơh hmei amâo srăng bi mdjiê ih ôh,’ ²⁶snăn kơh brei ih lač kơ diñu, ‘Kâo kwưh leh hŏng klei luă gŭ kơ mtao čiăng kơ ñu amâo srăng lŏ tiŏ nao kâo kơ sang Y-Jônathan brei kâo djiê tinăn.’ ” ²⁷Jih jang phung khua nao kơ Y-Yêrêmi leh anăn êmuh kơ ñu, leh anăn ñu lŏ wĭt lač kơ digơ̆ tui si klei mtao mtă leh kơ ñu. Snăn digơ̆ mjưh klei blŭ hŏng ñu, kyuadah arăng amâo hmư̆ ôh klei diñu blŭ anăn. ²⁸ Y-Yêrêmi dôk hlăm wăl phung kahan gak tơl truh hruê arăng mă ƀuôn Yêrusalem.